Hosting and joining meetings or events

Meetings in Teams includes audio and video capabalities, and allow for face to face meetings at any time with up to 250 attendees.. You can share your screen, files, meeting notes and chat with meeting participants. You can schedule your meetings using Outlook, or from within Teams, from a web browser, PC or mobile device.

Live event meetings in Teams haven't been fully rolled-out but this is being worked on currently. Live events in Teams will allow the University up to 15 concurrent broadcast events with audience sizes of up to 10,000 people.  More details on this will be available soon.

For detailed training on Teams meetings have a look at the Private Chats and Meetings section of the LinkedIn Learning course (requires you to sign in eith your University log-in details):

Microsoft Teams Essential Training

Microsoft provide an overview of meetings in Teams in a series of short videos:

Guidance videos on Meetings

How to schedule your meeting in Outlook

Outlook Desktop app (Windows)

1. 

   Open the Outlook app and switch to calendar
2. Then, click "New Teams Meeting"
3. Next, add the details of your meeting and click send
4. The calendar event will now contain a Join Teams meeting link that you and all participants can click to join the meeting

Outlook Desktop app (Mac)

1. Open the Outlook app and switch to calendar 

2. Then, click "Meeting"

3. Next, click "Teams meeting" from the top bar

4. Next, add the details of your meeting and click send

5. The calendar event will now contain a Join Teams meeting link that you and all participants can click to join the meeting

Outlook on a Web Browser

1. Open outlook.com/ed.ac.uk and switch to calendar
2. Then, click "New event"
3. Then, click "Add online meeting" (to the right of the "Search for a room or location" box) and select "Teams meeting"
4. Next, add the details of your meeting and click send
5. The calendar event will now contain a Join Teams meeting link that you and all participants can click to join the meeting

How to schedule your meeting within Teams

Alternatively, meetings can also be scheduled within Teams. You need to schedule the meeting within Teams if you want a meeting to be in a Channel. 

1. Select the Calendar icon from the navigation bar
2. Then, click "New meeting" 
3. Then, add the details of your meeting 
4. Next, if you want the meeting to be in a Channel, type your Team name in the "Add channel" box, then click the Channel (this is optional)
5. Then, click "Send"
6. The meeting will now show in your calendar in Teams and Outlook, and a meeting invite will be sent to attendees with a meeting Join link.

Hint: Remember to set your meeting to Private in Outlook to make your Teams meeting as secure as possible. 

For further guidance on scheduling meetings, please have a look at the LinkedIn Learning video on this topic (requires you to sign in with your University log-in details):

Schedule a meeting and invite attendees

The "Meet Now" feature

For impromptu ad-hoc meetings, use the " Meet Now" feature of Teams:

1. Navigate to the relevant Channel that you want the meeting to be in
2. Then, at the bottom of the Teams window, click the video camera icon ("Meet Now") to start a new meeting. A box will open.
3. Next, at the top of the box, click in the "Want to add a subject?" text and write your meeting title.
4. Then, click "meet now" to begin your meeting

Hint: You don't need to create a new chat group or Team channel to connect with people using Teams, use the "Meet now" feature or schedule a meeting using your calendar.

For further guidance, see the LinkedIn Learning video about on demand meetings (requires you to sign in with your University log-in details):

Initiate a meeting on demand

Live Events in Teams allow for large scale "town hall" events supporting up to 10,000 audience members.  Events will run up to a maximum of 4 hours and are limited to 15 simultaneous events across campus.  The format is typically multiple presenters taking turns to give a presentation and audience Q&A. 

You can request to host a Live Event by filling out the request form on our Live Events page. 

Teams Live Events

Joining by a meeting invite 

The person who set up the Teams meeting can invite you via a meeting invite in Outlook. This invite will include a link to allow you to join the meeting online (as show in the image across). When your meeting is due to begin click this link. You may be prompted to sign into Teams if you are not already, use your Univerity log-in details to do so. 

Alternatively, you can join via Teams after being sent a meeting invite in Outlook. Just before the meeting starts you will recieve a notification in Teams asking you to join the meeting that you can click to join (as shown in the image across).

Joining from your calendar in Teams

All meetings to which you are invited will appear in your Calendar in Teams.

To join a meeting, access your calendar using the Calendar icon on the navigation bar, click the meeting, and then click "Join" in the top right of the Teams window

Joining from your Teams Channel

If a meeting has been set up in a Teams Channel that you are a member of, you can join the meeting from that Channel.

Navigate to the post in which the meeting was created and click the "Join" button. 

Joining from your Chat space

You can also join meetings from your chat space if the meeting has begun. Click the meeting in your recent Chat list and then click the "Join" button in the top right of the Teams window. 

If a user who does not have a University of Edinburgh Office 365 account receives an Outlook invitation to a Teams meeting, they can still join as an anonymous user. All University of Edinburgh staff and students attending the meeting should log into Teams as normal. However, if you are trying to join another organisation's Teams meeting anonymously, make sure to sign out of your University of Edinburgh account first.

Joining a Teams meeting as an anonymous user

User joining with the Teams desktop app installed 

1. Log out of your existing Teams account (if you have one) in the desktop app by clicking your profile picture and selecting "Sign out"
2. Then, click the "Join Microsoft Teams meeting" link from your meeting invite email
3. Then, a webpage will open, click "Launch it now" below the two other options on the webpage. 

User joining via Web Browser 

If the anonymous user will be sharing their screen during the meeting, make sure they join using the Google Chrome web browser.

1. Log out of your existing Teams account (if you have one) in your web browser by clicking your profile picture and selecting "Sign out"
2. Then, click the "Join Microsoft Teams meeting" link from your meeting invite email and a new page will appear
3. Next, click the "Join on the web instead" button
4. Your browser will open the meeting in Teams. Your browser may also ask if it's ok for Teams to use your microphone and camera, allow this so that the other meeting attendees can see and hear you. 
5. Then, type your name in the "Enter name" box
6. Click "Join now"

User joining with the Microsoft Teams mobile app 

1. Log out of your existing Teams account (if you have one) in the mobile app by clicking your profile picture, selecting "Settings" then "Sign out"
2. Click the "Join Microsoft Teams meeting" link from your meeting invite email on your mobile
3. Then, the Microsoft Teams mobile app will open automatically
4. Next, click "Join as a guest"
5. Then, type your name in the "Name" box
6. Click "Join Meeting" 

Further help

Microsoft have guidance on how to join Microsoft Teams meetings as an anonymous user:

Join a meeting without a Teams account guidance

Audio Conferencing Meetings

Important - You do not need to request an audio conference license to join a meeting in Teams by phone. You should let the meeting organiser know if you will need this option.

This service is for audio conference meeting organisers only.​​​​

A conference meeting orgnaniser may be someone who manages large project meetings, schedules many large meetings on behalf of someone else or meets with the public, including external suppliers and needs to host an audio conference meeting.

Note - Your careful consideration is required before choosing a dial-in option for your meetings.

• We have a limited number of audio conference licenses and cannot fully guarantee this service option for your meetings.
• Most users will likely have a smartphone, device and wifi connection that lets them use the Teams app at no additional cost to them.
• Before your meeting, check with your attendees if they can access and use the Teams app.  Provide them with the following guidance:

How to access the Teams app

How to join a meeting using Teams

• Users who need to dial-in to meetings will incur charges to their phone bill.  This is covered in the terms of use which will be issued to you if you choose the option.
• If you only need a dial-in option for some meetings, release the number again.
• It can take up to 2 hours from choosing the option for dial-in for the number and conference pin to be added to you next meeting.

Cases where a dial-in option might be easier and more convenient for some people:

• Where internet connectivity, home kit devices are limited and there's no other alternative
• For audio only meetings, although the Teams app supports audio only
• When hands-free with a Bluetooth device is required

Request an Audio Conferencing License

When you are assigned a audio conferencing license, a telephone number and conference ID will be automatically added to your Teams meeting invitations. It will appear at the bottom of your email, as in the image across. 

How to dial-in to a meeting 

1. Dial the telephone number at the bottom of your meeting invite
2. Enter the conference ID at the bottom of your meeting invite
3. State your name (if prompted)

Sharing your screen

Hint - Sharing your screen is currently only supported in the Google Chrome web browser and in the Teams desktop app. 

You can share your screen during a meeting by clicking the "Share" icon (an icon with a rectangle and an arrow) located on the meeting bar. 

There are various options for what you can share, including your whole screen, a web browser tab, or a different screen if you use multiple.

To stop sharing your screen click the "Stop Sharing" button

For further information on sharing your screen during a Teams meeting, see the LinkedIn Learning video on screen sharing in Teams (requires you to sign in with your University log-in details):

Share your screen during a call, meeting or chat

Sharing a PowerPoint presentation

You can share a presentation during your meeting by click the "Share" icon (an icon with a rectangle and an arrow) located on the meeting bar. Then, click "Browse" located to the right of "PowerPoint" and select your PowerPoint file either through Teams (if you have already uploaded it to Teams) or from your computer.

To stop sharing your PowerPoint click "Stop Presenting"

For further help with sharing content during your meetings, including sharing a whiteboard and giving/requesting control of presenting, see the following:

Guidance on sharing content in a Teams meeting

Using Microsoft Whiteboard during your meetings

Meetings in Microsoft Teams can be recorded and will be available to download after the meeting from the Channel you had the meeting in or from the Chat space. Please note that Teams meetings recordings are not on by default and must be turned on by someone in the meeting.

Before starting a recording you are legally required to let everyone in the meeting know, Teams will also show a notification banner (shown below) across all meeting attendee's screens to tell them they are being recorded.

Before recording your Teams meetings (or any online meetings) please take a look at our "Guiding principles - recording of Online and Digital Events" information on the Online and Digital Events pages. This will give you information on what to consider when recording meetings:

Guiding Principles - Recording of Online and Digital events

How to record your Teams meeting

Microsoft provide up to date guidance on how to record your Teams meetings here. 

1. Join your meeting
2. Then, before starting the recording tell everyone in the meeting
3. Next, click "More actions" (icon of 3 dots) on the meeting bar
4. Then, click "Start recording" and everyone in the meeting will see a notification banner (shown above) telling them that the meeting is being recorded
5. Then, when you want to end the recording again let everyone know and click "More actions" and "Stop recording"

Some useful examples of meeting etiquette have been shared by Peter Kent @ JISC:

Turn off your video if you don’t need it - If the video and audio quality of your online meeting is poor, then turn your video off.

Maintain good information security practices - Make sure you don't have any sensitive documents or other information in sight of your camera. You can blur your background during Teams meetings by:

• Clicking "More actions" (icon with 3 dots)
• Then, selecting "Blur my background"

If you’re sharing your screen make sure you close any applications which display sensitive information before you share.

Mute your microphone when you join  - Have your microphone muted when you join a meeting and only turn it on when you start talking. 

Mute your microphone during the meeting - Whenever you’re not talking during the meeting, mute your microphone to save the other meeting attendees from hearing any background noise. 

Create an agenda for your meeting - Creating an agenda before a meeting can help prevent meeting attendees from cross-talking.

When asking questions direct them to particular people - If you have a question it may be best to ask a specific meeting attendee, rather than asking generally and having everyone talk over each other. 

Have attendees use the "Raise Hand" icon if they want to ask a question - Attendees can now use the Raise hand button to indicate that they want to speak or ask a question. This can prevent attendees from talking over one another and allows the meeting organiser to keep the meeting structured.

Tell participants if you record your meeting - Recordings are not on by default, it is a choice to turn on meeting recordings. If you want to record a meeting, you legally must tell your participants when you begin recording the meeting and let anyone who comes into the meeting later know that they are being recorded. If you are unclear on this, please consider your own local guidance on data collection, or University policy on this. 

For further information on online meeting etiquette, have a look at the GoodPractice online meetings guide (requires your University log-in details):

How to make Virtual Meetings work

Also the following LinkedIn Learning videos (requires you to sign in with your University log-in details):

Etiquette for video meetings

Running a productive online meeting

Please read through the following information to help keep your meetings in Teams private.

Guiding principles of privacy in meetings

Misuse could lead to disciplinary - Listening to a meeting to which you're uninvited to join could lead to disciplinary action against you. Meeting organisers can identify attendees joining their meetings in Teams and will know if you join. If you accidentally join a meeting to which you are uninvited, you should leave immediately and inform the meeting organiser.

Limit who you send a meeting invite to - Meetings in Teams are like any other resource, if you provide people with a link to the resource (in this case a Teams meeting) then they are able to use that resource. Therefore, we recommend that you think about and limit who you send join links to. 

Make your meeting "private" in Outlook - by default, if you include your link in a meeting in your Outlook calendar, then other staff or students can see the link, click on it and could join your meeting unexpededly or by mistake.  If you host a meeting which deals with sensitive information then make the meeting appointment in your Outlook calendar private. The meeting will then show in your calendar with a padlock beside it (shown in the image across). Guidance on making your meeting private is available from Microsoft:

How to make your meeting private in Outlook

Anonymous users will wait in a lobby - If you have an anonymous user (someone who doesn't have a University of Edinburgh account and isn't a guest user) joining your meeting, the anonymous user will be sent to wait in a "lobby" from which the meeting organiser can either accept or reject them. Make sure you know who the anonymous user is before accepting them. 

Dial-in users will wait in a lobby - If you are set up as a conference meeting organsier and have someone dialing into your Teams meeting, they will also be sent to the lobby before accessing the meeting. From here the meeting organiser can accept or reject them. Make sure you are expecting someone to dial in before accepting them. 

Meeting organisers should verify attendees during the meeting - We recommend that if you are the meeting organiser, you should verify that everyone attending the meeting is supposed to be there frequently during your meeting. Guidance on how to do this is included below.

Privacy guidance for Meeting organisers

Meeting Options before your Meeting

If you are a meeting organiser then you can access meeting security options after you have set up and sent your meeting invite to your attendees. 

Access your calendar in Teams, locate your meeting and click it. Then click the "Meeting Options" button beside the Time Zone information and a new page will open in your browser.

The meeting options are:

• "Who can bypass the lobby" - this will be set to "People in my organisation" which means that anyone who does not have a University of Edinburgh or guest account will be sent to a lobby before being accepted to the meeting. Always keep this option set to "People in my organisation" for security reasons (as shown below).​​​​​

• "Always let caller bypass the lobby" - this will be set to "No", this means that people who dial in to your meeting (if you have this feature set up) will always be sent to the lobby and the organsier will have to accept them to the meeting. Always keep this set to "No" for security reasons (as shown below).

• "Announce when callers join or leave" - this will be set to "Yes", this setting means that if someone were to join your meeting as the organiser you will always know about it. Always keep this set to "Yes" for security reasons (as shown below). 

• "Who can present" - this will be set to "Everyone", this setting means that everyone in your meeting has the same permissions as the meeting organiser. All meeting participants will be added as "presenters" by default. We recommend that you change this setting to "Specific people" or "Only me", this means that participants will be added as "attendees" with fewer permissions. For further information on the various roles in Teams meetings see this page.

To change participant roles:

1. First, click "Everyone" beside "Who can present" to open a drop down list
2. Then, click "Specific People" or "Only me"
3. Next, if you selected "Specific people" typing the names of the participants that you want to be presenters into "search for participants" 
4. Finally, click "save" at the bottom of the window

Verifying attendees during your meeting

If you are a meeting organiser, you should check who is attending your meeting frequently during your meeting.This allows you to verify that everyone attending is supposed to be there, just like in a physical meeting. To do this, click the "Show participants" icon (icon of 2 people) on the meeting bar, and check the meeting attendees listed under "Currently in this meeting". You will see their name, their profile picture, their contact details and department, when you hover over their profile picture or initals

If there is someone attending your meeting who should not be, you will be able to see them.

Scheduling meetings in a Private Channel

The ability to schedule private meetings is likely coming to Teams in the future. 

Upvote this feature to help Microsoft prioritise it's release:

Support to host a meeting  in a Private Channel

Currently there is no timeframe for release of a private meetings feature. However, Microsoft has announced that they're working on it.  You can place a 'watch' on articles relating to this so that you will be alerted by email if the status changes.  Further related articles and a work-around are included below:

Scheduling meetings in Private Channels query

Up to date information on Private Channels

Work around to schedule meetings in private channels

There is a work around that allows you to schedule meetings in private channels before the feature is implemented by Microsoft. 

To do this:

1. Access your Team and your Private Channel
2. Then, click the "Meet Now" button (icon of a video camera) on the bar below the "Start a new conversation" box
3. Then, type your Meeting title into the "Want to add a subject?" box that appears click "Meet now"
4. Then, copy the meeting join info by clicking the "Copy join info" button (icon of 2 linked chains) beside the "Invite someone" box on the right of your window
5. Next, hang up the meeting by clicking the "Hang up" button (icon of a red telephone)
6. Then, open your Outlook, change to calendar view and create a new Outlook meeting invite
7. Next, manually add everyone in your private channel to the meeting invite
8. Then, add the rest of your meeting details and paste the join info that you copied earlier into the message
9. Next, send the Outlook meeting invite
10. Then, when the meeting is due to start, click the meeting in your Outlook calendar 
11. Finally, click the "Join Teams meeting" button in the message

A video tutorial for this workaround has been posted to youtube:

Scheduling meeting in Private Channels work around video

If you are planning to hold a lecture or seminar (teaching), then you should use Collaborate instead of Teams. See the University's Teaching Continuity Preparation web pages for information on using Collaborate for teaching: 

Teaching Continuity Preparation